(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toothpaste composition having excellent effects for removing calculus and bacterial film on dental surface (hereinafter referred to as “plaque”). More specifically, the present invention relates to a toothpaste composition having excellent effects for removing interdental plaque and calculus and preventing calculus formation by comprising zeolite granule and ultra phosphate.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, plaque is adhesive material made by bacteria in the oral cavity such as Streptococcus mutans, etc., which is adhered to dental surface or gingiva and causes dental caries in the oral cavity and gingivitis. If such plaque is not removed and is left for a long time, calcification will slowly proceed and it will turn into blackish brown calculus. Calculus is hard and stiff material formed around tooth. The calculus begins to be formed when unremoved plaque reacts with metal ions such as calcium ion, magnesium ion, etc. contained in foods and saliva and is deposited and crystallized. Such calculus is difficult to remove by common tooth-brushing. If it does not removed, it grows into the neck of the tooth and causes various paradentitis.
The mechanism of calculus formation has not completely clarified, and although slightly varies according to various known technologies, U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,477 and British Patent Nos. 2,182,242 and 2,180,157 explain the mechanism as growing into crystalline material named hydroxyapatite (HAP) of calcium and orthphosphate. Accordingly, material that can block functions of calcium, main ingredient of crystalline hydoxyapatite, can be effective anti-calculus agent, and if calculus-causing material, plaque, can be completely removed, the formation of calculus can be basically blocked. However, complete removal of plaque is practically impossible and although dental surface plaque can be removed by common toothpaste, the removal of plaque in the parts where teeth-brushing does not reach well such as between teeth and teeth and between teeth and gingiva is very difficult.
Meanwhile, it is known that although hydroxyapatite, main ingredient of calculus, is similar to ingredient of teeth, they differ completely in their crystalline structure and differ greatly in their hardness. However, it should be noted that the use of excessive anti-calculus ingredient could affect tooth enamel as well as calculus.
Main ingredient of calculus is hydroxyapatite, which has the same composition as main ingredient of tooth and they differ only in their structural fineness. Water-soluble metal ion condensed phosphate having linear molecular structure has been proved its effects as an anti-calculus agent through various studies and clinical tests. Particularly, hexamethaphosphate, tripolyphosphate, pyrophosphate, etc. have been used for a toothpaste composition, which are also known as chelating agents. It is known that they have functions for chelating, inhibiting and isolating calcium, magnesium, ferrous ions, etc., and that they inhibit calcium ion that is indispensable for forming crystalline hydroxyapatite and thus effectively prevent calculus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,772 and British Patent Nos. 2,182,244 and 2,180,157 have disclosed water-soluble condensed phosphate having linear molecular structure such as dialkali metal pyrophosphate or alkali metal pyrophosphate, tripolyphosphate, hexamethaphosphate as anticalculus agents. Besides such water-soluble alkali metal condensed phosphate having linear molecular structure, U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,477 has suggested vinylmethylether/maleic acid copolymer (PVM/MA) as an anticalculus agent, which has been clarified to increase anti-calculus effects of water-soluble condensed phosphate having linear molecular structure.
However, the toothpaste compositions disclosed in the above patents have problems in use feels due to salty taste and unique teeth-brushing feels of phosphate because they use excessive alkali metal condensed phosphates, and they focus on chelating effects for calcium ions affecting calculus-formation and do not consider any influence on tooth enamel that is structural ingredient of tooth.
Korean Parent Publication No. 1991-0002096 has disclosed the use of water-soluble alkali metal condensed phosphate with network molecular structure having excellent anti-calculus effects, sodium citrate having synergistic effects wit the condensed phosphate, and fluoring compound commonly used in toothpaste in order to inhibit hydrolysis of condensed phosphate with the lapse of time, but it cannot completely inhibit hydrolysis of condensed phosphate with the lapse of time at high temperature. As disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 1991-0002096, the water-soluble alkali metal condensed phosphate having the network molecular structure is referred to as ultraphosphate, and is expressed as the following formula:(XM2O)P2O5wherein X represents a number from 0 to 1, and M represents an alkali metal. Differently from the case that the ratio of P2O5:M2O ranges from 1:1 to 1:2, it is presumed in the case of the ultraphosphate that more condensations occur, to form a three-dimensional network structure. Because the ultraphosphate is amorphous, the individual structure of the ultraphosphate cannot be clearly determined by X-ray diffraction. However, it is reported that the ultraphosphate has a network structure, based on the presence of various ion species in the aqueous solution and the change thereof depending on the elapsed time measured by a paper chromatography.
Meanwhile, as technologies for removing plaque, a conventional method of prescribing highly polishing toothpaste and a method of using antibacterial that inhibits multiplication of plaque-making bacteria have been generally used, but the use of highly polishing toothpaste would cause chilled teeth due to abrasion of teeth and, when used for a long time, gingival abrasion, and the use of antibacterial has a problem of bacteria resistance. Recently, Japanese Patent No. 61-280331 and Korean Patent Publication No. 1992-5641 have used plaque-decomposable enzymes in toothpaste and Japanese Patent 61-280331 and Korean Patent Publication No. 1997-121564 have granulated insoluble inorganic matter to apply it to a toothpaste thereby increasing tooth whitening and polish, but they cannot ultimately remove interdental plaque and do not consider dental stability.
Accordingly, there is a need for a toothpaste composition having excellent anti-calculus and interdental plaque removal effects as well as having tooth enamel stability.